The Shrewsbury pickets campaign

Vic Turner, a leader of the Pentonville Five, the dockers’ shop stewards who were jailed in 1972, has spoken of the need for trade unionists to back the call for justice for the Shrewsbury pickets.

Turner said there is a “direct parallel” between the dockers’ struggle for jobs and the building workers who held a national strike in 1972. This culminated in 24 pickets standing trial and two, Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson, being imprisoned for three and two years’ jail on conspiracy charges.

While the Pentonville Five were freed by mass solidarity action, the Ucatt and T&G building union pickets became isolated and were victimised by employers and the Tory government.

Those still alive are demanding that the cases be reopened.

Public meeting of the Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets campaign at the London Welsh Centre, 157 Gray’s Inn Road, London, on Monday, 9 November at 7.30pm